An examination of the strictures in the New-England journal for October 1823, and in the North-American review for October 1823, on Essays on fevers, &c / by Thomas Miner and William Tully.

  • Miner, Thomas, 1777-1841.
Date:
1823
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An examination of the strictures in the New-England journal for October 1823, and in the North-American review for October 1823, on Essays on fevers, &c / by Thomas Miner and William Tully. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    « day lost, in the time of its termination. u There is no such thing at getting over the evil consequences produced by a delay, in the applica- tion of the proper treatment. See N. E. J. Vol. 12th, p. 38th. How do reviewers disagree among themselves ! The palpable misstatement, (to use no harsher or more appropriate term) that we have never failed in more than one instance, to cure Consump- tion, when a fair opportunity has presented itself, ought not to pass, without the severest animadversion. We expressly confined our state- ment, to two of the several varieties. None but a reviewer, who had the vanity to imagine, that he had influence sufficient to suppress a work, could have dared to hazard such an obvious perversion of an author's words and meaning. In reference to the pulse, we have invented no new terms, but have merely adopted such, as we found in common use. However the critic may dislike the denominations, had he quoted their accompanying defi- nitions and explanations, we claim, that no room would have remained, either for cavil or objection. With respect to our Essays on Yellow-fever, we do not pretend to any very extensive practice or experience, in the disease which is their sub- ject; yet we still insist, that thirty or forty cases, which occurred in 1820, and former years, the origin and progress of most of which, we had op- portunity to watch with the minutest attention, may contribute somewhat to elucidate the history of this important disease, and do assuredly entitle us, to contribute our mite, to the general mass of facts upon record. \ot having any theories to support, in relation to this disease, we trust we shall be acquitted, by every candid reader, of any disposition to con- ceal a single circumstance; and we take this occasion to declare, that we have stated every thing, of which we could obtain any knowledge, which- ever way it might tend. The only point, on which we have drawn any inference, as respects its cause, is, that with us it was not of domestic ori- gin. We expressly waived the discussion of this point, as it concerns out- southern cities. This is all that we claim, from the history of the disease in Chatham. Whether our cases were all Yellow-fever, the medical pub- lic will decide. We insist, that they were all of a common character, and differed materially, from any of our ordinary fevers. We however be- lieve it in vain, to contend with those, who have not frequently witness- ed the disease. We cannot too often insist, that no description, of Yel- low-fever, Spotted-fever, malignant Pneumonia, malignant Dysentery, malignant Typhus, and every other malady, that from its very access is attended by a dangerous deficiency of vital power, can ever be realiz- ed, by those who arc not conversant with such cases. We will say one word of the last Essay, which our critics have scarcely condescended to notice, although the subject is a disease, (Pneumonia typhodes) which has spread desolation through our country, and which